Sam Barlow Ko'd

Quote: In EnemyTerritory "I don't think anyone is condoning what Haggerty did. I didn't make the game but it's clear from the video that the intention was to take the player out at any cost and you are right that he should be punished.

FWIW... from two mates of mine who are normally quite realistic in their view of things they stated that the gameplan of Sheffield right from the very off was to try and ruffle our feathers and Shefflield were cautioned on a number of occasions for this. It's a tactic that a lot of teams seem to try and employ against us but we're big enough and ugly enough to match teams when they play like this.
The tackle on Thackray when he had his eye on the ball whilst taking a catch was similarly intended to hurt the player and the flying high shot on Allen that led to the fight was equally as despicable.
In some people's ideal world players would get up and dust themselves off after being battered by the opposition or ignore whilst watching their team mates take cheap shot after cheap shot, but Rugby is played teetering on the edge of aggression and it's no surprise that sometimes it boils over. That's why the sport is lenient to the odd bout of fisticuffs.... something in other sports that would draw universal condemnation and severe penalties.

Let's get real.. it was bad, it will be dealt with, Widnes will suffer as a result of Haggy's actions.. but we've all seen worse...

think sheffield seem to use these tactics quite a lot the last few seasons just to get teams rattled.

quite often at Leigh.'"